WR450F Linkage Service

The rear shock linkage arms on the WR450F, like on many motocross and enduro bikes, have seals and needle bearings that need to be cleaned and greased every six months or 3,000 km, or after the motorcycle has been submerged for a long time. If you don't, the bearings will rust and fail. A rebuild kit is pricey, and replacing the bearings is quite a tedious procedure, so it is better to periodically disassemble, clean and grease the linkage. The video shows this simple process in detail; below are the important points to pay attention to.

• Clean only with a special cleaner or kerosene; WD-40 also works. Gasoline, diesel or solvent makes the seal rubber swell, and the seals wear out quickly.
• Use lithium-based grease, because it doesn't eat away the seal rubber.
• If a bearing has fallen apart, the easiest way to reassemble it is one needle at a time into the gap around the bushing, which should stick out by 1–2 mm.
• The rear shock bearing also needs to be cleaned and greased, but for that the shock has to be removed. We will do that when we remove the shock for a rebuild!

You can buy motocross and enduro consumables in our motorcycle shop.